Cleaning bearings

A 14.70 lb. box of parts just showed up from Z1

I'm replacing all the bearing in the chassis except the Timkens that I installed in the tree around thirty years ago, I hope.

The bike has sat for the last twenty :whistle:

Yesterday I finally started to work on the front end and have some doubts about the roller bearings.
what would be a good product to soak them in , I am thinking white gas or kerosene.

I know that I should probably just swap them out but I still want to give them a shot.
I don't think that they are made in the US any more.

JD

gas,kerosene,solvent any of the above should work.look at the races to make sure they are not pitted from sitting.if not grease em and roll em :lol: .

leon

Yes, thats a start. Then use a can of any type of "Brake Clean Solvent" and compressed air.
If the races are good and smooth your good to go, grease em. New KZ set is under $40 on ebay.
I just put a set in a frame last week.
Nothing like them!

www.goallballs.com seems to carry most bearings.

Thanks guys,
It looks like the bearings and races are fine but it seems that I only have the bottom seal in place, no top seal ???

And I don't think I can get the bottom bearing off with out damaging it.
They use a puller in the manual.

Is that bottom seal under the bearing ?
It looks like it's all rubber, nothing like those beauties in z1kzonly's post.

JD

bluej58 wrote: A 14.70 lb. box of parts just showed up from Z1

I'm replacing all the bearing in the chassis except the Timkens that I installed in the tree around thirty years ago, I hope.

The bike has sat for the last twenty :whistle:

Yesterday I finally started to work on the front end and have some doubts about the roller bearings.
what would be a good product to soak them in , I am thinking white gas or kerosene.

I know that I should probably just swap them out but I still want to give them a shot.
I don't think that they are made in the US any more.

JD

Please don't use Gasoline. That is very dangerous. Stick with a solvent that is a combustible liquid, not a flammable liquid. Gasoline, you guessed it, is a Flammable Liquid. Kerosene is good, I myself use paint thinner. Get it from Lowes in the big, metal container. Works great on chains, too. Stay away from White Gas for this also, that's very dangerous. I just don't want to hear about anyone riding a bed in the burn unit, rather than riding their bike on the road. Be careful! BTW, I'm a Firefighter at the rank of Lieutenant, Fire Inspector and Paramedic.

WD40 also serves as a good cleaning solvent.

Good Fortune!

Leave the lower bearing on the steering stem. Just use a brush and solvent to clean out the old grease. If you don't have a parts wash, you can make one using a 5 gallon pail w/lid and a couple cans of MINERAL SPIRITS which is sold in the paint department. Then all you need is a brush.

When you clean those tapered bearings you need to do it in 2 stages. First clean, then blow out as much old grease as possible, then clean again and blow dry. You'll never get it all out the first time. Only bitch is repacking with the bottom tree installed.

I ended up using WD-40 to soften up the old grease, then engine degreaser , then I flushed them out with brake cleaner and a coat of WD again just to protect them until I'm ready for a final cleaning and grease packing before I put it back together.

In the mean time I taped up the bottom bearing for protection and started removing the rust and crud from the lower tree to get it ready for paint.

The bearings seem to work smoothly after a good cleaning so I'm going to reuse them .

Breaker19 , thank you for your concerns, I'm with you, if I were to use anything super flammable it would be done out side.
Most of my chemical work is done out there anyways , like using the engine and brake cleaners.
I don't like breathing that stuff either :sick:

Thanks everyone,

JD